C O L O R S
by harmioron
Summary: college life is going to be a very interesting experience for riley matthews, the girl who's misunderstood and has more flaws than she can count. when she meets farkle minkus, a rich bad boy with a tendency to close everyone out, she wonders if maybe they can be each other's missing piece. (RIARKLE. rated T for language and violence. AU of course.)
1. Chapter 1

Riley Matthews stared out of the rain-speckled window as her parents drove her to her new school. It was time to start college, and although she was nervous, she was excited at the same time – it was time to be independent, and she'd been longing to be independent for a long time.

Corey pulled up outside of the apartment complex Riley and Maya would be staying in. "Come on!" he exclaimed. "We gotta get the last of your stuff up there before it rains any more."

There was a rush as Corey, Topanga, Maya and Riley all leaped out of the car, grabbed their things, and ran into the apartment building. Maya got their apartment door open and all four of them rushed in with the boxes.

"You guys stay here, there are only two boxes left." Riley said. "Mom, can you put the kettle on for us? I think we all need some coffee."

"You sure you can handle it?" Corey checked, worrying as always.

"Dad, I'm fine." Riley rolled her eyes, picked up the car keys and left the apartment, rushing down to the car to get the last two boxes. She closed the boot of the car, locking it and starting to head back to the door.

She got into the apartment safely, as she knew she would, and she set the boxes down neatly. "See? Told you I'd be fine." Riley teased her father, as she handed him back his keys. "I really need to get myself a car." she mused.

"Yeah, you do." Maya agreed, laughing. "But for now, we'll have to go on foot. It's a good thing the college is only five minutes away from here."

They all sat around, drinking coffee and talking about the old days. But then Topanga and Corey had to go, and Riley's heart dropped into her stomach. She knew she'd miss her parents, but it was only just setting in just how much she'd miss them.

Maya hugged Corey and Topanga, thanking them for bringing the two here, and then Riley hugged both her parents tightly.

"Call us once a week." Topanga said.

"Of course I will, Mom. Take care of yourselves." Riley said, hanging onto her mother tightly. Then she moved away and hugged her father.

"No boys." he said, causing the three girls to laugh. "I mean it, Riley. I doubt any of those lowlifes would be good enough for you."

"Relax, Dad." Riley replied, rolling her eyes at Maya over her father's shoulder.

"We should get going." Topanga prompted, when Corey started holding his daughter tighter instead of letting go.

"Right, yeah." Corey broke away, looking down. "Good luck, girls."

Riley swallowed, nervousness starting to settle into her gut. She crossed her arms over her chest, a nervous habit of hers.

"Riley, we'll be fine." Maya encouraged, as they said goodbye to Riley's parents and walked back into their new apartment.

"I know." Riley replied, with a sigh. "I just..." she sighed again, waving her arms. "I don't know. College is a big deal." she said.

"I know it is." Maya raised an eyebrow. "We'll be okay. We can survive college."

Riley flopped onto the sofa with a small sigh. "Well, at least we don't have to live in the dorm rooms." she pointed out. "I'm glad my mom insisted on us having our own place."

"Your dad didn't seem like he'd let you, at first." Maya admitted. "But I'm glad he did."

"You and me both, Peaches." Riley said softly, getting to her feet and dragging the last of her bags into her room. "I'm gonna get unpacked!" she called over her shoulder.

"Okay, honey." Maya replied. "I'm gonna go get us some coffee!"

"See you later!" Riley called, as the door slammed shut. She began unpacking her things. She's changed a lot since her high school days, but of course, only Maya really knew that. Riley had changed her entire wardrobe, and she had an idea of where she wanted to go in life. She wasn't as clumsy and ditzy anymore, although there were certain occasions that side of her came back.

It took her less than an hour to unpack all her things. Maya returned just as Riley was placing her laptop upon her desk.

"You got those coffees?" Riley called.

Maya came rushing into the room, carelessly giving Riley her coffee, almost spilling it everywhere.

"Careful!" Riley scolded her, taking a sip of the warm coffee.

"Riley, I met someone!" Maya said.

"Already?" Riley raised an eyebrow. "Damn, you work fast." she teased.

"He goes to our college." Maya continued, ignoring her friend's comment. "He's just moved here from Texas. He's super cute. His name is Lucas."

"Good for you, Maya." Riley smiled brightly.

"I got his number, of course." Maya grinned. A pause. Then, "Should I wait for him to text me first?"

"That depends." Riley considered. "He might text you tonight, but if he doesn't, wait until tomorrow." she concluded. "Play a little bit hard to get."

Maya nodded. "Thanks for the advice. What's for dinner?"

"Pizza?" Riley suggested.

That's how they ended up in the living room, pizza boxes in their laps, watching a corny flick on the TV.

"I'm excited about college tomorrow, Riles." Maya admitted.

"So am I." Riley replied. "Do you think we'll fit in?"

"I don't know." the blonde shrugged. "But who cares? We have each other."

"We're in different classes, Maya." Riley pointed out.

"So what? If people in our classes don't like us, screw them. We don't need anybody but us." Maya said firmly, and Riley couldn't help wondering if she was right.

"Us and Lucas?" Riley teased, and Maya swatted her with a pillow.

"Shut up." she said, but she was smiling all the same. "I doubt it'll be anything serious."

"Who knows?" Riley shrugged. "I guess we'll find out, huh?"

A small smile curved up onto Maya's features. "Yeah. I guess we will."

This new chapter of their lives was just beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

Riley woke up incredibly early, giving herself two hours to get ready for her first day. She showered and dried her hair, got dressed, applied a little makeup, and sorted out her backpack for school. When she was making breakfast, Maya dragged herself out of bed.

"What's for breakfast?" she asked, groggily.

"Bacon sandwiches." Riley replied. "My speciality, as you know."

Maya smiled. "What would I do without you, Riley?"

"You'd starve before college." Riley shrugged, placing a plate with two bacon sandwiches on it in front of Maya. "Eat quickly. You only have an hour to get ready."

"Plenty of time." Maya said dismissively, but after a pointed look from Riley, she began eating faster.

Riley checked her bag once again before tucking into her bacon sandwiches. She wanted today to go well – the butterflies in her stomach indicated how nervous she was, though she was trying her very best to ignore those feelings. What could possibly go wrong?

Her mind decided to start generating all these pointless, probably impossible scenarios to answer that question, so she decided to shut off her mind until she was in classes.

Maya got ready quickly enough, and the two girls walked over to school together. It had brightened up today – no sign of yesterday's rain, much to Riley's relief. She really didn't want to get her clothes wet on her first day.

They walked across campus arm in arm. They'd come here to look around a few months ago, so Riley had an idea of where she was supposed to be going. They'd been given schedules and whatnot already, so there wasn't much left to do. The bell hadn't rung yet, so Maya sat down on a nearby bench, whilst Riley stayed standing, looking around at all the faces.

"Nobody looks familiar." Riley said.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Maya asked.

"I don't know." the brunette admitted. "Do I look okay?"

"Of course you do." Maya encouraged. "You look great."

Riley smiled. She could always rely on Maya to be honest, so she knew for a fact that the blonde wouldn't have told her she looked great if she didn't.

"Oh god." Maya's eyes widened. "There's Lucas."

She pointed across campus. Riley's eyes landed on the boy in question – tall, sandy brown hair, muscular...and walking this way.

Riley turned to Maya with a bright smile on her face. "This should be good." she winked. "See you later."

With that, Riley made her way into the building, prepared to just wander around until the bell rang. She had Literature for the first two periods, which she knew she'd enjoy. A small smile curved up onto her features. Maybe she'd be alright after all.

"Hey, baby!"

An arm wrapped around her waist and Riley's heart began hammering in her chest as she was pulled into the side of a tall, muscular boy with black hair and brown eyes. He winked at her. "I've never seen you around here before. What's your name, sweet pea?"

"None of your business." Riley replied, trying to keep her voice firm although it was shaking.

"Aww, don't be like that. Here, I'll start – my name's Jack." he said, and she rolled her eyes, shoving him away from her and backing up a few steps. "Careful, girlie. If you wanna survive here, you'll have to respect guys like me."

"Take your respect and shove it up your ass." a voice cut in, and then a boy was standing in front of Riley, almost protectively. "Leave off, Jack." he said warningly.

Jack's eyes widened and his tough guy act deflated. "Sorry, Farkle. Didn't realize you'd called dibs."

"Get lost." the boy – Farkle – replied.

The boys scarpered and Riley's saviour turned to face her. Her jaw almost dropped.

He had brown hair and eyes that seemed to be a mixture of blue and green. They were pretty mesmerizing. A black beanie sat upon his head, and his clothes were all dark, but they looked good on him. Riley couldn't help but stare.

"You alright?" Farkle asked.

"Fine. Thanks for that." Riley replied.

He smiled. Then, almost a second later, the smile faded and he looked away. "Whatever. Jack's an asshole, anyway. I've been gagging for an opportunity to get at him."

Riley was very confused. How could this boy have gone from rescuing her to not caring less? It certainly hadn't seemed like that was his reasoning a few minutes ago.

"You should be more careful." Farkle added. "Guys are always going to want to cop a feel. You're pretty, so there are gonna be creeps lurking around every corner. Watch your back, okay?" and then he was gone, vanishing into the crowd.

Riley was dazed. He'd called her pretty, and maybe it was idiotic, but that was the part of that little monologue that stuck out to her the most.

Once the bell had rung, Riley made her way to class. As soon as she entered, she immediately noticed Farkle sitting at the back of class with his friends. She knew immediately that he was popular – mainly because of how many people were staring enviously, and how many girls were swooning.

But why would a popular boy rescue her? She was still so confused.

She sat in the middle row, the seat by the window, and soon a shadow had fallen over her.

"That's my seat." Riley looked up to see a blonde girl standing over her. The first thing the brunette noticed was how this girl's hair wasn't as nice as Maya's – it was platinum blonde, almost white, and Riley couldn't help wondering how long it had taken to dye her hair like that. She could see a few strands of brown among the blonde.

"Actually, this is my seat." Riley said. "Since I decided to sit here."

"Well, I want to sit here. So move." the girl snapped. Two other girls were standing either side of her, one with black hair, the other with red. Riley had the crushing urge to laugh at them. They looked like one of those high school cliques who charged around calling people names that didn't make much sense.

"I'm quite comfortable here, actually." Riley replied evenly. "Come earlier next time if you want a certain seat."

"Don't tell her what to do." the black haired girl snapped, and this time Riley did laugh.

"Something funny?" the redhead was quick to say.

"Yeah, actually." Riley said, staring the blonde girl in the eye. "If you're going to dye your hair, maybe you should do it properly. The brown shows pretty clearly through the blonde. Nobody's going to believe that hair color is natural if you can't even do it right."

The blonde looked outraged. She raised her hand, as if she were going to smack Riley, but the latter stared her down. As the teacher walked in, the three girls stormed off to the back of the classroom.

As Riley looked back, she noted the blonde girl was snuggling up to Farkle, and yet Farkle's eyes were on Riley, his gaze lingering upon hers without a smidge of embarrassment.

Uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her – as if she were the only light in the room – she turned away, and listened as the teacher began to talk.


	3. Chapter 3

It turned out the girl who'd dyed her hair was Farkle's girlfriend, Izzie. Her real name was Isadora Smackle, and Riley almost laughed out loud when she heard that from Zay, the sweet boy in some of her classes who happened to be friends with Lucas Friar, the boy Maya was interested him.

"I'd stay away from those two." Zay told her, two days later. "They're bad news."

Riley sighed. "I figured as much." but she couldn't help wondering if Farkle was as bad as everyone was saying he was.

Suddenly, a foot went out in front of Riley and she tripped, falling onto the cold marble floors, books scattering everywhere.

"Oops." said Izzie's voice. "Sorry."

She wasn't sorry at all, and that much was obvious. Riley started collecting her books, only Izzie and her two friends decided to kick them further away from her. A few people were laughing, and Riley's cheeks burned from embarrassment.

"Enough." said a familiar voice. "Leave her alone, Izzie."

Riley was stunned to see Farkle kneeling in front of her, picking up her books for her. He helped her stand before handing the books back, his eyes staring into hers for a moment with an emotion Riley couldn't decipher.

"Thanks." she said, quietly.

"Don't mention it." Farkle replied, before turning and walking away, his friends following.

"Farkle!" Izzie called after him. "Baby!"

No reply.

Izzie glared at Riley before storming off, her friends following behind her.

"That was intense." Zay murmured.

"Why did he help me?" Riley wondered.

"You're probably his next victim." Zay sighed. "He's a player, that guy. Don't trust him, Riley. You can do better."

"Victim?" Riley raised an eyebrow. "He's being awfully nice for someone he considers to be a victim." she replied.

"This has happened many times." Zay informed her, as they walked into the cafeteria. "He sets his sights on a pretty girl, he's nice to her, flirts with her a bit, makes her fall in love, then he hooks up with her and breaks her heart and goes onto the next one."

Riley's heart plummeted. "That's awful." she said quietly.

"Exactly. Keep away from him." Zay said. "It's for your own good."

Riley nodded in understanding, although something in the back of her mind was telling her that maybe, just maybe, Zay was wrong. If he wanted to play her, he'd be flirting with her, wouldn't he? But all he'd done was help her. Be kind to her. That didn't seem like something a player would do if they wanted to hook up with someone.

But maybe she didn't know any better. She and Zay got into the lunch queue, collected their lunch, and went over to sit with Lucas and Maya, who were chatting away.

"Hey Riles!" Maya said immediately, smiling at her friend. "How was the first part of the day for you?"

"It was good." Riley replied, with a smile. "How was yours?"

"Good enough." Maya shrugged. "The lessons were boring, but Huckleberry here is in all of my classes." she grinned at Lucas and Riley fought the temptation to roll her eyes.

"Huckleberry?" Zay repeated, with a laugh. "Damn."

Lucas rolled his eyes and smiled at Riley. "Does she always come up with nicknames like that?"

"Yeah." Riley laughed. "I hope she hasn't told you about my old nicknames..."

"Only the good ones were said." Maya promised.

"Farkle Minkus has his eye on her." Zay said, gesturing to Riley as he spoke to Lucas.

"Are you serious?" Lucas' eyes widened. "Well, I mean, I can sort of see why, but..."

"But what?" Riley challenged, eyebrows raising.

"You're not his type." Lucas said. "Or, at least, not his normal type. He usually goes for the sort of girls who'd give themselves entirely to someone they barely knew." he sighed.

"So the sluts, basically?" Maya asked.

"That's the one." Zay replied.

"But it's clear you're not like that." Lucas continued. "So I gotta wonder...what does he want from you?"

"The same as he wants from every other girl." Zay sighed. "Maybe he thinks it's a good idea to see if he can get into the pants of a goody-two-shoes."

"I'm not a goody-two-shoes." Riley said.

"Yes you are, honey." Maya chuckled.

Riley fell silent. Maybe she didn't _want_ to be a goody-two-shoes. But this thought was cut off by a loud scream filling the cafeteria.

"RILEY MATTHEWS!" it was Izzie, and Riley cringed. She turned to face the dyed-blonde girl, who was marching across the cafeteria towards her. She seemed upset about something, and Riley could see Farkle slowly getting to his feet behind her. "This is all your fault!"

"What now?" Riley asked, her voice tired and sarcastic.

"Farkle broke up with me!" Izzie yelled, casually making it public to everyone. "All because of you!"

"What the hell have _I_ done? I didn't ask your precious boyfriend to break up with you!" Riley argued, and she could feel Maya's shock. Riley never argued with people. Or, at least, she never used to. The brunette got to her feet. She was a few feet taller than Izzie, though that didn't seem to put the latter girl off.

"It must be because of you! Why else would he have helped you the other day?" Izzie said, eyes filled with rage. "What about you is so special?"

"I don't now, Isadora, what about _you_ is so annoying?" Riley fired back, and silence fell over the hall.

"Nobody. Calls me Isadora." Izzie hissed. "You'll pay for this, Matthews!"

"Go on then!" Riley snapped. "Do something about it."

Izzie raised a hand and slapped Riley, hard. The brunette stumbled back.

"Hey!" Maya was on her feet within seconds, but Riley reacted quicker.

Her hands flew out to grab Izzie's hair, and Riley _tugged,_ something igniting inside her that she'd never felt before. She steered Izzie towards the table and dumped her face into Riley's desert – cheesecake. She let go of her and took a few steps back – only to have both arms grabbed by Izzie's two friends, Lily and Jasmine. Suddenly, though, there were people standing around us.

"That's enough." Farkle snarled, but he was staring at Izzie. "Leave her alone. It's not her fault we broke up. It's yours."

"But Farkley..." Izzie said, her voice sad and simpering. It made Riley want to vomit, though the sight of Izzie with her face covered in cheesecake made her want to laugh.

"No. Just stop, Isadora." Farkle snapped. "You two, let go of her." he turned to Lily and Jasmine. When they didn't let go, his eyes flashed dangerously. "Now." his voice was angry, and it seemed to scare them.

Riley rubbed her arms, staring at Farkle with widened eyes. He gave her a small nod and turned to Isadora. Maya was at Riley's side in moments.

"Riley, we should go." Maya said, but Riley's gaze was trained on Farkle.

"Isadora, there's something you have to understand. We're done. And that is entirely my choice, because you don't understand _personal space."_ his eyes were cold, as were his words, and yet something about him still intrigued Riley. "Leave Riley alone. She's nothing to do with our breakup. And if you pick on her again, I'll make sure I get involved properly. I'm sure you wouldn't want that, after what happened last time someone made me angry."

"You'd never hurt me." Izzie said weakly.

"No, I wouldn't." Farkle agreed. "Maybe I wouldn't have to."

Izzie and her friends stalked off, Izzie burying her face in her hands. Maya tugged on Riley's arm, but Riley wrenched her arm from the blonde's grasp, stepping towards Farkle with a determined look in her eyes.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"Because I don't think it's right for people to be bullied if they don't deserve it." Farkle said quietly.

"But you hate everyone. You don't help anybody." Riley replied.

Farkle raised an eyebrow, and his eyes found Zay. "That what he's been telling you?" Zay had the decency to lower his gaze. He looked at Riley, and took a step closer to her, leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "Don't believe everything people tell you. I don't hate everyone. Hell, I'm pretty sure this proves that I don't hate you."

Then he moved away and turned. "See you around, Riley." with that, he walked away, leaving Riley standing, stunned, staring after him with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Are you okay, Riley?" Maya asked, placing a hand on Riley's shoulder.

The brunette turned to face her friend and nodded slowly. "I'm fine." she replied.

"You did good, Riles." Maya smiled proudly.

Riley smiled back.

"Riley Matthews!"

She turned around to see the principal standing in the doorway, with Izzie by her side. The smirk on Isadora Smackle's face was not one Riley was prepared to deal with.

"My office, now." the principal said, and Riley had no choice but to follow as the teacher stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving behind only a smirking Izzie.


	4. Chapter 4

"Isadora tells me you attacked her." Mrs Dunham said, as Riley sat in front of her in the office. "Without reasoning."

"Yeah." Riley muttered. "Of course she said that."

"She had two eyewitnesses to confirm it." Mrs Dunham added.

"Her two best friends. Of course they were going to agree with her. Did you really think they'd tell the truth if she didn't want them to?" Riley said furiously.

"Watch your tone, Miss Matthews." snapped the principal, eyes narrowing. "You don't have much to prove your innocence here."

"Then don't prove my innocence." Riley said, rising from her chair. "Just believe everything Isadora Smackle tells you. You're no better than the people in the corridors who believe every bit of gossip anyone throws at them."

"Riley Matthews, sit back down immediately!" Mrs Dunham snapped.

"No thanks. I've heard this lecture before." Riley snapped back. With that, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the principal's office. Two days in, and she was already in trouble. Could things get any worse?

Izzie and her friends were sitting outside when Riley stormed past. They got up, attempting to stare her down as she walked by.

"Take a picture!" she snarled. "It'll last longer, bitches." she said the last word scathingly before walking on. Izzie soon caught up with her.

"What did you just call us?" she hissed, grabbing Riley by the arm. Riley whirled around to face her, quick to shove her backwards. Izzie stumbled back in her heels, eyes narrowing.

"I called you bitches, Isadora, do clean out your ears." Riley snapped. She was all fired up, and she had no idea why. A lioness had unleashed from under her skin and there was no taming her.

"Don't call me Isadora!" Izzie screeched, pushing Riley. She wasn't very strong, and Riley barely moved.

"I'll call you whatever I like." Riley smiled sweetly.

Izzie reached up to slap her, but Riley dodged it. "Get over yourself." Riley muttered, and turned away. Izzie stuck out her foot and tripped Riley, but the brunette went forward and straight into someone's arms.

Riley looked up and, of course, Farkle Minkus was looking down at her, a small smile on his lips. He set her upright. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah." Riley replied, nodding slowly. "I'm okay."

He turned to Isadora. "I told you. Leave her alone." he snapped.

"She started it!" Izzie whined, playing the victim.

"I'm not an idiot, Isadora. Don't play me as one." Farkle replied. He turned to Riley. "Wanna get out of here?"

Riley knew it wasn't a good idea, and yet something inside her told her it was. She nodded, with a grin. "Love to." she replied.

Farkle's arm found it's way around Riley's waist and he led her away from the crowds.

She and Farkle found it stupidly easy to walk out of college. He led her to his car and that was when Riley hesitated.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Farkle shrugged, getting into the driver's seat. "Anywhere."

He noted that Riley was hesitating. "I shouldn't..." she began.

"I know." Farkle replied. "But just because you shouldn't...does that really mean you won't? I think you should live a little, Riley Matthews."

A grin worked it's way up onto Riley's features and she got into the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt. "I think you might be right, Farkle Minkus."

He drove off at an incredible speed, and although Riley's heart clenched in her chest at first, she realized that he was right – maybe she should live a little.

As they drove down the streets, Riley turned up the radio. _I Took A Pill In Ibiza_ started playing. Riley's guilty pleasure song.

"Turn it up." Farkle requested. "I love this song."

"Me too." Riley replied, and she turned it up to full volume. Farkle gave an approving nod.

They shouted out the lyrics with the windows down, and for the first time in her whole life, Riley didn't give a damn that this wasn't the good girl thing to do. She was tired of being the goody two shoes. With Farkle, it felt like she could be a whole different version of herself. It was a feeling Riley was in no hurry to get rid of.

Once the song finished, Riley turned the radio down and closed her window, a wide smile on her face.

"That's the biggest I've ever seen you smile within the past three days." Farkle noted. "You look good with a smile on your face."

Riley looked over at him. "Hey, Minkus?"

"What?" he asked.

"Why me?" she inquired.

"What d'you mean?" Farkle's eyebrows furrowed, though he kept his gaze on the road.

"Why'd you pick me? What's so great about me that you decided to start standing up for me?" Riley asked. "I bet you don't take every girl on random roadtrips like this."

"Only a rare few." Farkle joked, and Riley couldn't help but laugh. "You're different, Riley. I like different."

He looked across to meet her gaze, and she couldn't help seeing how serious he looked. _So he meant it._ But then his eyes were on the road again and the moment was over.

"Any idea where we're heading yet?" Riley asked.

"Yeah." Farkle laughed. "We're going to the pier."

"The pier?" Riley raised an eyebrow. "Farkle, it looks like it's about to rain."

"Exactly." he said, a mischievous grin curling the corners of his lips. "C'mon, Riley. Let's swim in the rain."

"With our clothes on?" Riley blinked.

"Why the fuck not?" was his reply.

Riley let out a soft giggle, and he paused for a moment. Then, "I think that giggle is my new favorite sound in the world." he announced, and Riley's cheeks flamed pink.

"I think I'm okay with that." she replied, and they shared a smile as Farkle parked up. Sure enough, there was the pier – and beyond it, the sea, that looked absolutely freezing. "Are you sure about this?" Riley asked as he was getting out of the car. She put her phone in her bag and left the bag in the car, closing the door and going to stand beside Farkle.

Farkle looked over at her. "Nope." he replied. He reached out a hand to her.

Riley should have said no. She should have walked away. But did she do that?

Of course not.

She took his hand with a child-like grin and allowed him to pull her along as he took off running. Riley ran alongside him as fast as she could, laughter escaping her lips as they ran.

They were getting closer and closer to the end of the pier, but Riley shut all her fears away, because Farkle was right beside her and she decided that _this_ was what living felt like. The rush of fear and the rush of adrenaline pounding through her. The undeniable excitement.

They got to the end of the pier and they both jumped, without hesitation, at the same time, just as rain started falling from the skies.

Riley hit the water still holding Farkle's hand. It was freezing, sure, but the adrenaline was still coursing through her. She surfaced a few moments after Farkle, and when she looked over to meet his gaze, he was grinning at her goofily and her heart was pounding in her chest, though not because of what they just did.

"See?" Farkle grinned, as rain fell all around them. "This is what living feels like, Riley."

Riley laughed softly, splashing him with her free hand. "Maybe I should live more often." she replied.

Farkle was giving her that intense look again and her heart was leaping in her chest. Then he splashed her and swam away, laughing, and Riley took that as a challenge. She swam after him, and soon they'd started a splash war. Riley had never laughed so much in her whole life, and that she was sure of.

She wasn't sure how long they'd been in the water for when thunder crashed overhead.

"We should go." Farkle said.

"Yeah." Riley replied, though honestly, she wouldn't mind staying here.

After staying in shelter till the rain stopped, they headed back to Farkle's vehicle.

"I have some spare clothes in the car you can wear." Farkle said.

"What about you?" Riley asked.

He waved a dismissive hand. "I'll be fine. It's whatever." he fished the clothes out of the boot and handed them to her.

"And where do you suggest I change, genius?" she asked.

"Right here." Farkle shrugged. "Who cares?"

Riley paused. Then, "This is so embarrassing." she peeled off her wet clothes, keeping her underwear on, and changed into Farkle's clothes. He'd given her a blue plaid shirt and some jogging bottoms. She didn't mind being barefoot, at least for now. She was struggling to button up the shirt when, suddenly, Farkle appeared in front of her.

"Here." he gently buttoned up the shirt for her, and their eyes met. Riley's breath hitched. He was so _close..._

"I'll put your wet clothes in the boot." Farkle said softly, taking them from her and moving to the back of the car.

Riley couldn't help the slight disappointment.

 _She'd wanted him to kiss her._


	5. Chapter 5

"Where the hell did you go?!" Maya demanded, as soon as Riley walked through the door. She and Farkle had stopped off for coffee and they'd ended up staying out for a good few hours. Riley felt a little guilty that she hadn't thought of texting Maya.

Maya, Lucas and Zay were sitting on the sofa, staring at her.

"And what the hell are you wearing?" Zay asked. "You weren't wearing that a few hours ago."

Riley put her wet clothes in the tumble dryer and put her shoes on the rack, knowing they'd probably dry there after a few days. "It rained, so Farkle gave me his spare clothes because mine were wet."

"You were with _Farkle?"_ Lucas asked, eyes wide.

"People were saying the two of you walked out together." Maya said. "I didn't think you'd actually be so reckless!"

"What are you talking about, Maya? You walked out of middle school and high school all the time!" Riley frowned.

"He's dangerous, Riley!" Maya's voice was raising, the way it did when she was angry and worried at the same time.

"He's not dangerous!" she protested. "Just because people said he's dangerous doesn't mean they're right! You shouldn't always believe what other people tell you about someone."

"Riley, Farkle Minkus is bad news." Lucas said. "I don't think he's ever done a good thing in his life."

"How about him helping me when Isadora wanted a fight?!" Riley demanded. "Or him picking up my books when she tripped me, or him helping me when some creep was hitting on me on the first day?! Those are good things!"

They blinked. "Some creep was hitting on you?" Zay asked.

"It doesn't matter now, because Farkle rescued me! Why can't you understand that he might not be what you all think he is?" Riley sighed in frustration.

"I've known Farkle since middleschool." Zay said. "He's bad news."

"Get out." Riley snapped.

"What?" Zay asked, startled.

"Get out! This is my flat. I saved up to buy this place with my own money. What I say goes. Get out, both of you!" Riley opened the door.

Zay got up and left the flat without a second glance. Lucas wasn't far behind him. Riley slammed the door.

"We're trying to protect you, Riley! Is that so hard to understand?" Maya demanded.

"I don't _need_ you to protect me!" Riley yelled, and then she stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her and locking it just to be sure.

She couldn't understand why she felt so fiercely protective of Farkle, but perhaps it was the fact that she knew people weren't always what they seemed. Farkle wasn't a bad guy. Something inside her knew that. Maybe he'd done bad things, but that didn't make a bad person.

As if on cue, her phone beeped.

 _ **[ sms from ;; Minkus ]**_

 _hey princess. wanna go out tonight?_

 _ **[ sms to ;; Minkus ]**_

 _go out? where?_

 _ **[ sms from ;; Minkus ]**_

 _anywhere._

Riley smiled to herself. Going on a night adventure with Farkle? Now that seemed tempting. She had homework to do, but she could do that now. It wasn't a big deal.

 _ **[ sms to ;; Minkus ]**_

 _pick me up whenever. :)_

Riley spent the next few hours finishing up her homework, still wearing Farkle's clothes. She checked the clock. 9:45. She opened her wardrobe and put on her favorite red dress, which was strapless, tight at the top and loose at the bottom. She put on her favorite red heels to go with it and brushed her hair, tying it up into a high ponytail.

She and Farkle might not be going anywhere fancy, yet she felt the need to dress up. She put her phone, her digital camera, and her purse into a small red handbag. As if on cue, her phone bleeped.

 _ **[ sms from ;; Minkus ]**_

 _i'm outside, princess._

 _ **[ sms to ;; Minkus ]**_

 _are you going to insist on calling me princess?_

 _ **[ sms from ;; Minkus ]**_

 _yes. you coming?_

 _ **[ sms to ;; Minkus ]**_

 _five minutes._

Riley left her room, knowing full well Maya was watching TV in the living room. She waltzed straight past her and towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Maya asked.

"Out." Riley replied, still angry that Maya didn't seem to think she could take care of herself.

"With Farkle?" Maya prompted.

"So what if I am?" Riley asked.

"Riley, he's..."

"I don't care if you think he's bad news." Riley snapped, cutting her off. "You're wrong about him."

She walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind her, and headed out. There was Farkle, leaning against his car, smiling at her.

"You look amazing." he told her, as she drew closer.

He was wearing a black shirt, and he no longer wore his beanie – which he almost lost in the sea earlier, she remembered fondly – with dark blue jeans and some surprisingly clean sneakers.

"Where are we going?" Riley asked, then shook her head. "Never mind. Just going with the flow?"

"Yeah." Farkle grinned, opening the passenger door for her. "Problem with that, milady?"

"Not at all." she replied, as she sat in the car. He closed the door and got into the driver's side with a grin.

"Good." he said. "We'll get along just fine."

He started up the car and drove off, and Riley found herself staring out of the window, watching all the city lights as they passed them by.

"I think we'll go this way." Farkle mused, taking a random right, then a few random lefts, then another right. They seemed to be at the edge of the city now. He just kept driving.

There was a thrill running through Riley and she was relishing every moment of this. She couldn't help it – something about Farkle made her want to do this kind of thing. It made her want to give into instinct and to hell with everybody else.

They ended up at some kind of forest, probably miles away from the city, and Farkle got out of the car, rushing around to open the door for Riley. She got out of the car and smiled softly. "Let's go this way!" she said, walking in a random direction in the forest.

"Right behind you." he said, getting something from the boot of his car. Riley wasn't paying attention.

They ended up in a clearing by a beautiful lake, which was shimmering with the reflection of the stars. Riley sat beside the lake, a small smile pushing across her lips.

Farkle placed a blanket down beside her and, to Riley's surprise, he produced a picnic basket. Her eyes widened.

"So much for not planning this." she giggled.

"I only planned a little." Farkle chuckled, sitting on the blanket. Riley followed suit.

He'd brought so many different things – chocolate covered strawberries, sandwiches, crisps...all sorts of things that Riley definitely liked. They tucked in.

"I haven't eaten much today." she admitted.

"Didn't you eat when you went home?" Farkle asked.

Riley shook her head. "No. I was too busy..." she paused. A small sigh. "Fighting with my friends."

"Zay, Lucas and Maya, you mean?" Farkle asked.

"How did you know?" Riley asked, blinking.

"I know Zay. I've heard things about Lucas and Maya. But I don't listen to gossip." he shrugged. "You shouldn't either."

"I don't." Riley replied, eyes locking with his. "Would I be here if I listened to gossip?"

Farkle smiled slightly. "No." he agreed.

They finished eating the picnic and then Riley lay back on the blanet, totally relaxed. "That was awesome." she said. "Thank you, Farkle."

Farkle laughed softly and set the picnic basket aside so that he could lay beside her. "You're so welcome, Riley." he replied.

The trees above their heads had a small gap between them, revealing a slither of the sky above them. It was patterned with stars. Riley smiled.

"It's beautiful." she mused.

"Yeah." Farkle said, quietly. "Yeah, it is beautiful."

But when Riley looked at him, he wasn't looking at the sky. His eyes were fixed on her. A small blush set her cheeks ablaze and she covered her face with her hands, shyness taking over.

"Hey." Farkle said. "Don't do that."

He reached over to gently prise her fingers from her face, and even though Riley hardly knew him, she couldn't help the feeling blossoming in her gut.

So when Farkle leaned in, she didn't stop him. She let her eyes close instead, leaning forward slightly to give him permission.

Then Farkle was kissing her and fireworks were exploding everywhere, sparks flying between them. The butterflies in her stomach had intensified and she allowed her hands to find home in his hair, fingers curling around brown locks, as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. One of Riley's hands made it's way down to his back, pulling him on top of her almost out of instinct. The kiss deepened and Farkle's tongue gently slid across her lower lip, asking her permission. She opened her mouth in response, their tongues beginning the battle for dominance.

Their kisses were fast, eager, passionate, and Riley's logical thoughts were thrown away with the wind. She didn't know him, but she didn't care, because he took her on this adventure and that drew her to him, and he captured her in ways nobody else has managed to.

Riley knew what he wanted. She wasn't stupid. Perhaps she shouldn't do anything until she knew him better.

But the moment was so sweet and passionate and beautiful that Riley didn't want it to stop.

So she didn't stop him. And she didn't stop herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Riley opened her eyes to find that she and Farkle were still in the forest, curled up together with the blanket wrapped around them like a cocoon. She remembered the previous night and a soft smile warmed her features.

Though that wasn't exactly how she'd imagined her first time happening, Riley had to admit that she had no regrets. Some may judge her for sleeping with someone she barely knew, but the truth is, she felt a connection with Farkle. Even if her friends thought he was trouble.

She smiled softly when he opened his eyes and looked up at her, and the small, sleepy smile he gave in return made her heart start racing in her chest. Though she imagined she'd feel awkward the morning after, she didn't feel awkward at all.

"Hey." she whispered.

"Hey." he whispered back. "What time is it?"

"I don't care." Riley murmured. "Let's just...stay here a little longer."

Farkle didn't need to be told twice. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her in close, his head turning to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Was last night your first time?" he asked her, his voice soft, and not judgmental at all.

"Yes." Riley whispered. She wasn't going to ask if it was his first time because, frankly, she knew better. But she didn't mind. "Does that bother you?"

"No." Farkle shook his head. "I was just going to tell you that, well...I wouldn't have thought that was the first time you'd done something like that. You were good."

Riley laughed as a lovely shade of red set her cheeks aflame. "I think you're a liar, Mr Minkus."

"Nope." Farkle said. "Genuinely. In fact..."

"What?" Riley dared him. "Go on, say it."

"I've only slept with four girls, but you were the best of all of them, I have to admit. And those were girls that had done it before." Farkle admitted.

Riley chuckled quietly. Then a thought occurred to her. "Farkle..."

"What's up?" he asked, immediately detecting the change of her tone. "Everything okay?"

"Was this..." she trailed off. "Nevermind."

"No, go on." Farkle said, turning to look at her. She turned so she could look him in the eyes, too. She'd know if his answer was a lie if she was looking at him as he spoke.

"Was this a one time thing?" Riley asked, fearing the answer, but asking the question nonetheless.

Farkle was silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then, "I don't know. I don't think so." he said, and she could tell he was being honest.

It was better than a definite yes, and more than Riley could have asked for. A soft smile graced her features again, and Farkle relaxed, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from her forehead. "We should get going." he mused. "We'll be late for college."

"So?" Riley asked. "I don't care."

"You should." Farkle chuckled. "I don't want you to get chucked out, alright?"

"Fine." Riley agreed, and they got dressed, picking everything up and heading back to the car. "I can't go to school in this." she realized, looking down at herself.

"Why not? I think that dress suits you." Farkle said. A pause. Then, "I liked you better out of it, though."

"Farkle!" Riley exclaimed, nudging him gently with her elbow, acting as though she were mortified when, really, she found it funny that he could joke about it. She was relieved that things weren't awkward between them – and when Farkle placed an arm around her waist, guiding her to the passenger seat, she realized that the sparks were still there, even more so than before.

He drove her back to her apartment and, as she went to get out, he reached across to grab her face, bringing her closer so he could kiss her. The kiss went on a lot longer than intended but, when they finally broke apart, he was giving her that mischievous grin of his. "See you at college."

"See you soon." Riley smiled, and she got out of the car, waving as he drove off. Slipping off her heels so as to enter the flat more quietly, she climbed the stairs and turned her key in the lock, bracing herself for Maya yelling and crying and telling her she was an idiot.

But there was nothing. Maya was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. Riley checked the time. An hour late for college. Typical. She quickly slipped into her room and changed into a different outfit, removing her makeup and reapplying it to a more daytime-friendly setup. She re-did her hair and, honestly, she felt great. She walked into the living room and shook her best friend awake.

She wished she could talk to Maya about losing her virginity, but she knew the blonde would flip and Riley didn't want to fight with her anymore.

"Maya, we're so late!" she exclaimed. "We've gotta get to college."

"Riles..." Maya mumbled, sitting up. "Can't we just skip today?"

"No, Maya. This is college and it's important and we both overslept a bit." Riley shook her head. "Get up."

"Riley...I'm sorry about yesterday." Maya said quietly, and that was that. They were back to normal.

Riley slipped into her Maths class half an hour later, and her teacher merely gave a disapproving look. As she headed towards where she'd normally sit, however, Farkle spoke up.

"Hey, Riles." he was grinning at her, and there was a free seat beside him, which he patted. "Come sit down."

So she did. She made her way to the back and sat beside Farkle and he was smirking at her in a way that made her stomach flutter. "Late night?" he asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You have no idea." Riley replied, and yet the secret smile they shared was not, in any way, subtle. Zay was staring at the two as if he'd never seen them before, and his eyes settled on Riley. He shook his head and turned back to the front, and Riley couldn't help wondering why she felt sadness settle into her gut.

For the entire lesson, Riley and Farkle copied each other's notes and had quiet conversations. Farkle's hand wound up on Riley's knee at some point, and although she half expected it to go further, he left it there.

Almost like a boyfriend would.

" _This has happened many times."_ Zay's voice was ringing in her head. _"He sets his sights on a pretty girl, he's nice to her, flirts with her for a bit, makes her fall in love, then he hooks up with her and breaks her heart and moves on to the next one."_

Riley half-believed him at the time, but she wasn't sure anymore. _Shut up, Zay,_ her mind said instead. _You're wrong._

After class, Farkle helped Riley collect her things and offered to walk with her to their next class.

"May as well, since we're in all the same classes." Riley teased, raising her eyebrows at him. "Not very good at this, are you?"

"Maybe I'm a bit rusty." Farkle mused. "But at least I'm making the effort. Gotta give me some credit for that."

"Hey Farkle!" someone called. One of his friends, presumably. "You coming, bro?"

"Nah, man. I've got things to do." Farkle replied.

Wolf whistles were the only answer he got, and his friends saluted him as they vanished.

"You can go with them if you want." Riley said, as they exited the classroom. "I don't mind."

"I don't want to." he shrugged, grinning down at her. Riley's heart melted. "Like I said...I have things to do. Better things."

Then he stopped walking, placed his hands on her face, and kissed her, and he didn't give a damn that people were staring. Riley's hands crawled up his chest to the lapels of his shirt, and she tugged him closer to her. After a few long moments, he broke away, chuckling as he leaned down to whisper.

"Have patience, princess." he teased.

"Maybe I can't." Riley replied, but she was smiling anyway. As they turned to walk towards class, though, Riley noticed something.

Maya, Lucas and Zay were standing a few feet away, staring. They were watching her and Farkle as they walked by, and their gazes hardened as Farkle wrapped an arm around Riley. He hadn't noticed them.

"Riley, can we talk?" Maya called out, and Riley paused in her steps, looking over her shoulder. "Later, at our apartment? Just me and you?"

Riley nodded and then she and Farkle continued walking.

"Best friend talk?" Farkle asked, and Riley nodded.

"I guess so." but deep down, she knew exactly what it'd be about.

She wasn't looking forward to it at all.


End file.
